Collapsible heater support for railroad car bunkers



' June 26, 1951 N. R. DUFF ET AL 2,558,173

1 A A 1 I 30 41 A h 19 i 21 5 15 1 1 16. 9 57 I W 8 1 |1 7v INVENTOR. E I 2,9 35, 2 Zf 1- 9) 22 .flkMdIZB-DZZ COLLAPSIBLE HEATER SUPPORT FOR RAILROAD CAR BUNKERS if v Patented June 26, 1951 COLLAPSIBLEHEATERrSUPPORT FOR RAILROAD CAR BUNKERS Nehman. R.:Duf and Harry. H. Hutohison, .Blue Island, Ill.

Application-February 27, 1948, Serial Nod-1,806

.2 Claims. 1 our invention relates to heaterisupports, particularly those in connection :with the'heating of freight cars, this invention being an improve- ;ment onour co-pending patent application, designated Serial Number 74.8,:362 filed May 15,

An object of our invention is to provide 'a heater support that may be quickly mounted ;on .one of the bunker walls of a box-car type of freight car without remodeling or changing thereof.

A further object of ourinvention is to :provide aheater support, of the above-mentionedcharacter, having a heater supporting assembly that .is collapsible within the attaching frame which is mounted on the wall of the .bunker.

.A still further object-of our invention is-toprovide a heater support assembly that may be quickly and easilyopened torest upona ledge in the side of the said bunker.

A further object of our invention is to provide a heater support assembly, the .sides and :end walls of which'may be quicklyandeasilyraised to their open position and securely latched to form a support for a box-oarheatcr.

A-still further object of .ourinvention is 170 1311)- vide a spring-urged locating pin means to hold :the said side frames, in their upward position, while raising the end frames :to a latching position thereto.

A further object of our invention is tojprovidea .latching means for securely holding the heater support, in its collapsedposition, Within thesup- .porting frame attached to the bunker wall when not in use.

Other objects and advantages embraced incur invention will be disclosed in 'the following description and the accompanyingillustrations,

which like parts are designated by like numerals, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of our heater support shown mounted upon the wall of a box-car bunker.

Fig. 2 isa perspective .viewof our heater support, with the heater-holding assembly folded down and resting upon its supporting'ledge.

Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of .our iheater support showing the side frames of the heater-holding assembly raised and the end frames being swung into position.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of our heater support shown in operating position, and with a car heater shown in phantom lines-therein.

Fig. 5 ,is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a fragment of our invention taken substantially on line 5-5 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary, cross-sectional view of our invention taken substantially -on,line 6-6 on Fig. 1.

Referring .to theillustrations, our invention is :generally designated as 1, and consists 'of an attaching :frame 8, preferablymade :of lengths :of

angle iron weldedtogether and forming a rectangularshape. The said attaching frame *8 is secured by boltsand nuts 9 .to one of "the inside bunker walls in of a box-car bunker ll. The

.said bunkers are usually .located at each end ot the box-car type of freight car l.

.A heater supporting-assembly 12 consists of a heater supporting ,base 'frame l3, one .end :of which is .pivotablyattached by pivot rodzl'd to-the :lower endof attaching framez8. Thesaidheater :supporting base frame 13 is of. a size to allow it to collapse and fit within :the attaching frame 8 when not in .use, as :shown in Fig. 11. When opened downwardly :to .an operative position, the

said heater supporting base frame 43 rests upon a supporting ledge :15 :on the opposite inside bunker walllfi. Twoside frames 18 and two end frames .19 are preferablymade of welded strap :iron, and .are of a size to fit between two angle iron sides of :the heater supporting ibase frame :13. The said -sideframes l8 .and end frames 1'9 are :provided with bearings 2.0 and 2|, respectively, ion their-lower or attaching ends.

Swivel .rods .2 2 provide the means for connectingthe bearings .zllandzl of the said side frames [8 and end frames 19 to'side support bearings. 23 and end support bearings 24, which .aretmoun'ted upon the base supporting-frame l3.

It will be noted from the various :viewsp'and Fig. 5 .in-particular, that the side support bearings 2.3 .aremounted'in different planes than vthe :end support bearings 24. This provides the means .for allowing the side frames [8 and end frames l. 9'to lie in a collapsed position, :flush-with ithehea'ter supportingbase frame l3, .as sh'own in Fig.2. The side support bearings 23 are counterbored at 25, as shown in Fig. 5, and the said counterbores :are provided "with reduced openings .25, through whicha locatingpinxze extends. The head-2B of the locating pin '29is .heldin position, within the counterbore :25, .by the shoulder 21, and the pin 29 is maintained, .in extended posiltion, zbyrspring means 30 within thesa'id counter- .bore'25 enclosed bya screw plug 3| in the tapped counterbore .mouth 32.

The side frames [.8 are provided with latches 33, one at each end .near the "top, as shown in 'FigsBiand 4. Thesaid latches-33 are pivoted at 34 to latch braces 35, which are welded to the said side frames l8. Limiting pins 36 and 56 are mounted on the said latch braces 35, beneath the latches 33, to maintain the said latches in position to engage the aligned locking slots 31 which are formed in end frames |9.

In the closed position, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the heater supporting assembly l2 fits within the attachingframe 8 and is held thereby a locking latch 4|. The said locking latch 4| is pivotably attached through holes 43 and 44 through attaching frame 8 and locking latch 4| by means of attaching bolt 42 and hand knob 45. The said hand knob 45 is counterbored at 46 and provided with a reduced opening 41 through which the reduced threaded end 48 of attaching bolt 42 extends. A lock nut 49 holds the said hand knob 45 in place. The attaching bolt 42 should be slightly longer than the combined thicknesses of the supporting frame 8 and locking latch 4| plus the depth of counterbore 46 to prevent binding of the said locking latch 4| when the lock nut 49 is tightened on the reduced threaded end 48.

An engaging pin 52 provides engaging relationship between the hand knob 45 and the looking latch 4| by means of counterbored holes 53 in said hand knob 45 and locking latch 4|, as shown in Fig. 6. Locking latch 4| may be provided with a boss 5| to relieve the remaining surface thereof from frictional contact with frame 8. A spring 50 within counterbore 45 by hearing against the locking latch 4| provides the said frictional pivoting action between locking latch 4| and the attaching frame 8, so that the said locking latch will remain in an inoperative position while the heater assembly i2 is down.

When the heater supporting assembly I2 is lowered by means of a hook 54 to its resting position on supporting ledge |5, the two side walls I8 may be raised to an upright position, as shown in Fig. 3, and are maintained in that position by the locating pins 29 resting in dimples 55, formed in the heater supporting base frame 8, as shown in Fig. 5. The tWo end frames I9 are then swung upwardly and outwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, and are latched against the ends of side frames |8 by means of the cars 38 passing through the slots 31 therein. The heater supporting assembly I2 is now locked, in an operable position, so that a heater, designated 39 and shown in phantom lines in Fig. 4, may be placed therein to rest upon heater support struts 40, welded into the heater supporting frame l3.

Our heater support may preferably be mounted upon the Wall of one of the end bunkers of a freight car and within reaching distance of the overhead hatch so that the said car heater may be serviced from above, without the necessity of a man climbing into the bunker. This is a great advantage over the present practice in which car heaters are placed on the floor of the bunker, thus requiring two men to service the said heater as required by law if and when one man had to climb into a heating bunker.

Although we have herein described rather succinctly the nature and use of our invention so that persons skilled in the art will have no difficulty apprising themselves of the teachings thereof and, inasmuch as the disclosure is susceptible of various alterations, modifications, and

improvements, we hereby reserve the right to all modifications, alterations, and improvements falling within the scope and spirit of our invention, as well as any modifications that are emlately secured to one end of the said attaching frame and constructed and arranged to fit within the confines of the said attaching frame when the said heater supporting assembly is collapsed, locking means on the end of the said attaching frame which is in opposed relationship to the said first-mentioned end of the said attaching frame, and a supporting ledge on a wall of the braced suggestively in the accompanying drawsaid bunker in opposed relationship to the said first-mentioned wall, the said collapsible and erectable heater supporting assembly including, a heater supporting base frame, two side frames and two end frames hingedly secured to the said base frame in overlapping relationship when collapsed, and constructed and arranged to be erected to form a four-sided enclosure, and spring-urged locating pin means secured to the bottom edges of the said side frames for releasably maintaining the same in an upright position to facilitate erection of the said enclosure.

2. Heater support means for the bunker of a freight car comprising, an attaching frame attachable to a Wall of said bunker, a collapsible and erectable heater supporting assembly articulately secured to one end of the said attaching frame and constructed and arranged to fit within the confines of the said attaching frame when the said heater supporting assembly is collapsed,

locking means on the end of the said attaching frame which is in opposed relationship to the said first-mentioned end of the said attaching frame, and a supporting ledge on a wall of the said bunker in opposed relationship to the said first-mentioned wall, the said collapsible and erectable heater supporting assembly including, a heater supporting base frame, two side frames and two end frames hingedly secured to the said base frame in overlapping relationship when collapsed, and constructed and arranged to be erected to form a four-sided enclosure, latch means on the said side frames, slotted means on the said end frames cooperating with the said latch means to automatically lock the said enclosure, and spring-urged locating pin means secured to the bottom edges of the said side frames for releasably maintaining the same in an upright position to facilitate erection of the said enclosure.

NEHMAN R. DUFF. HARRY H. HUTCHISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 639,833 Simpson et al Dec. 26, 1899 1,194,570 Stuart Aug. 15, 1916 1,923,319 Mackey Aug. 22, 1933 2,077,650 Sweeley et a1. Apr. 20, 1937 2,399,950 Steins May 7, 1946' 

